LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 419, 31 December 1932, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Praise for Railways A visitor who for the past twenty years has regularly spent his Christmas holiday period in Rotorua and has ahvays comeby rail told a "Morning Post" representative yesterday that the arrangements this year for the, convenience and comfort of passengers were the best that he had "experienced in all that time. He mention eds that the station staff was particularly helpful and also that they were carrying out their arduous duties with a smile "quite in contrast to twenty years ago when I first came here," liq added. A Helpful Donation So impressed was one gentleman who desired to remain anonymous, with the high standard of the dresses at Thursday's Carnival Ball that he has approached the Carnival Committee and has offered to donate a special prize for a fancy dress in the New Year's Eve procession. The committee has accepted the offer with thanks. Expresseg Packed - . , Every day this week the inward expresses to Rotorua have been packed. There has been less qutward traffic than in former years but the inward passenger traffic is something in the nature of a record for some years past. The station staff has been kept extremely busy coping with the holiday rush and will probably have another hectic time when the holidays end. Thirsty Weather „ The present fine weather which has been such a feature of the holidays since Christmas Day is proving a boon to caterers for thirst. Ice cream sellers, sof t drink . shops and . hotels aro experiencing good saies. In this connection it is noticeahle that there has been very little drunkenness, it is said that the public taste has been for milder and lighter liquor than in former years. Special Costume Prize An anonymous donor has presented a special prize of 10/6 for the best boy and girl under 12 years of age in the juvenile fancy costume section this afternoon. A Big Attendance It is estimated that there were close upon 500 eouples present at the Carnival Ball at Sylvana Cabaret on Thursday evening. In any case the parked cars numbered well over three hundred. Cooking Facilities The increase in the number; of camping parties this ysar and the fact that many people who failed to hook early have been unable to ohtain the usual aeeommodation that they wished for has led to quite a demand for cooking gear of all kinds. One Rotorua firm has sold all the eampstoves it had on hand and there has also been a demand for crockery suitable for camping. Roads Standing Up Well Considering the enormous amount of fast traffic which they have carried the main roads around * Rotorua are standing up very well to the strain upon them. Largely due to the work put in during the period pa-eceding the holiday rush this state of affairs is very creditable to the P.W.D. officials concerned. According to a Wellington motorist the roads around here are in the best condition of any unsealed roads he has met with in the course of a tour which has embraced both east and west coasts of the North Island. Campers at Rotoiti All along the shore of Lake Rotoiti motor campers have been erecting their tents during the holidays. Most just stopped for the one night and moved on next day but several parties have been there under canvas for days. Fishing has attracted most and though the weather has been a bit bright according to anglers quite a few report fair sport. A fiy with a long tail still appears to be the most popular lure both with fish and their anglers, Like Mother Hubhard It was a very sad affair indeed. The Carnival Ball was at its height, dancing was warm work, the dust was rising, throats were getting dry and a quencher seemed very far off. To one perspiring couple came, a friend and in a hreathless whisper told them oi good tidings. He had the wher ewithall outpide safely hidden, under a lcerosene box in a paddock not far away. Out trooped the thirsty but when they reached the 'spot' the cupboard was hare. Someone had been there first. And now the bearer ^ of good tidings is going around eyeing all his acquaintances with suspicion. Nobody Damaged With a crash heard some distance away two cars came into collision at the corner of Tutanekai and Hinemoa Streets last evening at ahout a quarter to ten. Beyond a crumpled mudguard on the larger and a smashed bumper on the smaller, little damage was done. No passengers were injured and the crowd which quickly g-athered, soon scattered . Fancy Costumes Available The requirements of residents and visitors to Rotorua who have an urge to combine with their fellows in suitably ushering in the New Year tonight in fancy costume', but are debarred from doing so owing to lack of time in securing a suitable costume are being specially catered for by the Fancy Costume Hiring Co., of Auckland, which has a full display of costumes on view in Fenton Street. Last year costumes hired from this firm secured 16 of the 20 prizes awarded at the parade in the town square.